Auronia's Voyage
by RobertG73
Summary: A project I handed in for S.S. class that I thought was okay, I edited it a bit and published it. It is a mesopotamian based myth that involves great discription and some fighting.


Jan. 9, 2012 Edited on December 11, 2012

Aurania's Voyage

By: Robert Gibson

_T_he Storm ravaged outside, throwing debris all across the land of Urinian. I noticed out of the corner of my eye something being rifled through the air, something wooden. It was coming closer, with the fierce winds thrusting it forward at an extraordinary speed. I quickly pulled my arms in front of my face to block flurry of glass shattering of the window pane in front of me.

My right arm pierced from pain. Its menacing sting shot through my body, it sent an agonizing ache to every bone in my body. As I carefully tugged the shard of glass from my arm I studied the winds choice weapon. It didn't look anything like glass anymore, for it looked like a sharp piece of red wood. Although I knew it was just blood covering the glass it alerted me of my bleeding arm. The wood that caused the "explosion" rested on the floor. The diminutive and insignificant piece of oak probably was ripped off a building. The wood was harmless except for a miniature, crooked nail that stuck out. The intense winds outside came though the hole in the window pane and blew some blood off my arm. This didn't stop the crippling pain, still it seeped through my veins and penetrated my body.

A cloth in the room was literally thrown at my face from the pelting winds. I took it and bandaged were the wound sat. My father rushed into the room at the sound of booming shatter of glass and rummaged through it looking for nails. Once found we both bordered up the shattered window pane with the wood he carried; it wasn't a perfect job but blocked most of the wind. As I smashed the last nail in I heard a tremendously loud crash outside. I was startled yet curious. Gripping my father sword I stepped outside to fight the relentless windstorm and gain knowledge around the crash. The tiring gusts outsides tore through me; it felt like there were holes in my body. I struggled to haul my body forward against the ferocious winds. I felt my muscles expand and contract. I was knocked onto the grass lying on my back. My mouth hung open in shock; I now knew the source of the unnatural winds.

A group of men covered in black (to protect their identity) rolled into every house in the town stealing all food. Though for when my eyes witnessed the creature behind the tragedy struck like lightning on metal. Behind them came a colossal beast of a dragon, blood red, with a green stripe down each humongous wing. While flapping its immense wings it created the awful storm. It's yellow eyes shone like stars. Its skin as thick as the earth's crust, with scales jagged like mountains. The creature was gigantic; as enormous as town square. Every crop and garden (including 1 or 2 houses) were engulfed in flames it was spewing from its black as coal hole of a mouth. On each side there was white as pearl claws. Its vast spread of dreadfully sharp teeth was pearly white to. After one look I knew that this dragon would kill any one in its path of destruction.

I yelled at my dad then pointed to the dragon. Warning him made me a tiny bit calmer but my heart was still racing; pounding like a drum. I started hyperventilating, each breath more labored than the last. I don't know what caused it; it just sparked inside of me; like a firecracker going off. My eye twitched. Sand blew from the endless storm into my lungs; while coughing up blood I tried to control myself. Though it was impossible; my body couldn't be controlled, it was a wild animal furiously hating its strain. It howled as it fought at my mind. There was a battle inside me, a war; one I couldn't claim victory to. Giving up to my body, I blacked out. The last image I viewed was a burning log fly and crash into my family's house; engulfing the crumbling place in fire.

I slowly got up, straining my legs and back. It was light out so I guessed that I slept through the night outside. There was a nail blown from the storm sitting beside me as well as a heavy aged and rotten piece of wooden debris. I had three minor injuries; a massive burn on my right leg and my left hand felt as if someone had dropped a block of iron on it. I could move my fingers so they weren't broken. I guessed this was from the wood which I tracked down to a nearby tree. as I walked toward a swarm of people crowding the leader of Urinian worrying to him about having no food at all my back cracked up and slowly grew into a incredible pain. I noticed a lone jagged rock exactly were I had been lying. But, thankfully, things got even unluckier.

Sweat dribbled down my skin from the scorching heat and the fact that our house was burnt down with my family no where to be seen. My grieved mind thought the worst and convinced me to resort to it to. I prayed that I could take one of those fiends that killed my family savagely put a spear down their throat. I thought many other absurd ideas that poisoned my mind. I joined in on the earsplitting argument to see if there is a way to track these wicked men. At that point my mind grew longing of help and I knew it would make me do anything to get my family back; for it would get revenge back at the risk of my own death.

The leader of our city was a tall and agile man named Agathor. Though he couldn't venture out to the lands past Brethenjrai, for he had little courage. He boomed "we need a courageous civilian to venture to the eastern cities and gather food. Do we have any volunteers".

This sentence made my mind rush; it separated me from the rest of the silent crowd. Within an instant it seemed as if my arm wasn't part of my body; my mind controlled it now not my conscience. It shot up; like the tongue of a frog catching a fly. With full force I tried to put it down but still it pointed straight up to the aqua blue sky. I couldn't go out on an adventure; I mean I've gone out with a sword to kill wild pigs for my family but never something major. However, as soon as Agathor noticed my hand it was as if I was holding a death sentence in my tangled fingers. I started to explain to him and the citizens why I wanted to go on the mission. I couldn't control what I was saying; my mind caught my vocal chords too. I cursed one or two times while mentioning the crooks, they did kill my family though.

I was interrupted by a gloomy, hoarse but familiar voice. It yelled "I'll join him".

As I glanced over I recognized the holder of the voice. Emerging from the crowd came a peculiar character. Close to 4 feet, maybe a few inches taller, standing tall and proud. Even though a tear ran down the child's face he looked like he would never cry. His green shirt was burned and ripped to shreds; it only covered half of his left side and collar. His pale leggings were the same. All wrecked gone from the knee down. He stroked his sand colored hair, dust and minute cooled ambers fell out. He had burns all over his body. Wet blotches covered his upper chest from teardrops. Inside half the burn marks were scrapes from wood, nails and possibly a sword or two. Inside his left arm was a nail. Ruby red blood dripped from the slash; blood as red as the dragon from the day before. Aurania recognized this 12 year old. It was Arinton; His brother.

Aurania's heart was lifted yet sulked again when he knew the rest of his family was dead. I wanted to run over to Arinton and ask him a thousand questions. My mind almost pulled my body to him; but this time my conscience managed to stop my wild brain. I couldn't run over there, for Agathor was staring at us. I took one last glance at the crowd to make sure Arinton was the only survivor in my family; I found no family members. Though as I noticed all the farmers in the city were dead as well one terrifying thought shot through my mind; _the great dragon had started a famine._

Agathor had gathered the finest materials that night for Aurania and Arinton's voyage in the morning. That night Aurania and Arinton slept in the tame Taine forest; just a few feet off the city's borderline and west of Urinian. Well not so much sleep; Aurania kept Arinton up half the night by asking him question after question about the experience last night. They babbled on for quite a while but to get to the important part it went like this.

"What happened last night" Aurania eagerly asked

Arinton half asleep answered "As soon as that first spark hit I quickly bolted out the front door and simply waited for father and mother, but they never came. Apparently the first piece of flaming wood that crashed into the house made an explosion right beside the room father was in that shattered his eardrum. After a frightening two minute wait my father found his way out at this point the thieves noticed us and ran after us. I didn't know dad was deaf so I yelled at him to come with me and hide in a cave near our village, but by the time I noticed he wasn't with me and looked back to find him he had started to run in the house to save mom. Except the thieves were faster than him and ran up behind dad, and-and-," he paused to wipe a tear sliding down his burnt cheek. "And cut a hole in his neck. I turned to try and stop the image from being inserted in my memory but it burned into my mind. Stuck there like a mouse in a mouse trap. It still haunts me, even though I escaped I still want to slay those killing crooks." and that pretty much sums their conversation up.

The next morning was quick and abrupt; it raced through Aurania's mind. Before they knew it they were sailing into the chilly waters of Brethenjrai with the blistering sun scorching my back, our quick wave goodbye to the citizens confirmed my mind that I was in a life or death situation. This fact was not easy to take in, not settling; it sent chills through my body all the time. It was a feeling as bad as the food that we were eating. It poisoned my mind and sometimes after my rowing shift on that awful, undersized canoe I would break down. Right there in that diminutive ancient boat. I had no idea if it was the repetitive freezing days with chilly winds blowing at full speed, the food giving me a sickness, or the haunting memories of that one cruel day. Though after two or three days of sailing (I lost track and was focused on more important things) the horror of that night had its relapse, on sea.

The creature in front of us stood 19ft. tall; its bright, wrinkled and revolting structure drew your eyes in. Okatrin was the brute's name; he had been known as a mix between an octopus and a squid but more commonly known as a blood thirsty monster. His claws jot out like spear heads, as well as its jagged head. It had a beak like an eagle; blood stains all over its beak hid the bright yellow coat under. The suckers on its 8 tentacles stood out with bright shade of brown compared to its yellow exoskeleton. Okatrin's battle cry roared as if a baby had screamed into 10 megaphones at the same time; it could deafen people back in Urinian. I knew it wasn't going to peacefully pass by.

I drew my sword gradually, still half paralyzed from the stun off Okatrins entrance. But I snapped out of it suddenly and lunged at the great beast; only to find one of its claws snap the sword out of my hand and rifle it back at me. Hastily I took a wooden shield in hand and placed it to block the iron sword. To my surprise the sword broke partially through the shield and lightly hit me in the chest. I hopped right back to fighting Okatrin, grabbing a dagger from the deck and leapt at Okatrins eye. While in midair the beasts focus was on Arinton; out of the corner of my eye I saw him let an arrow fly at Okatrins other eye. Sadly his aim was off slightly off but was astonished to see the arrow crack as it touched the skin of Okatrin and bounce off unharmed as if a feather had landed on its head. The beast wildly swung its gigantic tentacle straight at Arinton. Luckily, Arinton being aware flipped narrowly over the tentacle, his right hand was clipped by the beast's claw and started to bleed mildly but Arinton was fine after barely landing his flip. His bow wasn't so lucky however; being gripped in his right arm put it in the path of the tentacle and literally smashed to diminutive bits no bigger than leaves.

Aurania's jump at Okatrin's eye was spot on; Aurania kept stabbing till there was a giant gouge in the monsters eye. Aurania started crawling along the beast's head so he could do the same to the other, although with the creature in pain it swayed around uncontrollably knocking Aurania onto the aged canoe. Then out of nowhere, with the creature flailing about; Arinton hit the creature in his unharmed eye with a spear. In an instant the creature fell back into the water blindly and didn't come back up. Aurania was badly hurt from his back being pounded on the wooden canoe so he couldn't move that much and they didn't cover that much ground over the rest of that day. The next day Aurania felt healed and better in general; that day they finally reached the forest of Shrint and dock. Taking little food out of the canoe yet arming themselves head to toe with weapons.

Shrint was a very odd forest; half was very tropical which Aurania and Arinton took advantage of, while the other half was dark and lurking with odd thing like Orkins. Orkins are small ogre like creatures as smart as a tree stump. Their inability to think is why their people die quickly and easily, but face a group of these brutes and you're in for a challenge. Most carry daggers and clubs but are defeated sometimes by them not aiming properly thanks to their mental challenges. Though have been known to be agile like elves, rely on their sheer numbers in groups and strength to kill. Orkins can't hit any thing long range, use magic or any archery tactics though as Aurania and Arinton learn can put up a fight.

During the tropical part of Shrint birds flew through the air. A bright, colorful and harmless bird flew gently past Arinton's left arm. a pitch white feather floated into his left blood-stained palm. Arinton took a twig from the ground, strung the feather to one end, a light, rough bronze dagger to the other, loaded it in his bow and let the arrow fly straight through the bird as if gutting it. He bent down to pick his arrow and the bird up, glancing at Aurania he chuckled with a grin "dinner".

That night they camped half a mile away from the Shrint's tropical and dark borderline. They ate the bird Arinton "caught" along with half a dozen mangoes and assorted edible yet bitter plant. They both claimed it was the best meal in a week. Though sleep was hard to claim it was a great night compared to the other nights in their voyage.

The next morning both Aurania and Arinton looked like warriors; they didn't want any trouble in the dark forest. Though they didn't have any armor they had as many weapons as they could in their arms or pockets. As soon as they crossed the boundary there was a huge difference. The green bushes and leaves turned from light to dark green, no sun shined at all on the path so they took out torches to light the way. There were faint blood stains on the path every seventy-five feet as though workers had died making it. Burnt out torches had scattered the mossy floor. About halfway through they saw a light in the distance of the forest. Startled, Arinton shot at the light. They heard a loud grunt of pain, this confirmed their theory. They were being ambushed by Orkins.

The green creatures stormed the two children, bumping into each other. They mumbled unintellectual groans. The Orkins could communicate but these sounds were just moans. Aurania slayed two by knocking them off their balance then shield bashing two at once and beheading the absent-minded beasts. Arinton dodged one of their crushing club swings. He then responded by flipping over the ogre and split its helm with an upside-down, mid-air slash to the beast's head; cracking it skull in half. 7 Orkins remained standing, still mumbling. Two Orkins attacked Aurania one after another. He rolled out of the first goblin like creatures swing but the second Orkin hit right on. Aurania could barely see Arinton knock of 3 more with quick arrow shots, a pool of blood mixed with a pool of tears lied right beside Aurania's adams-apple. He tried to stand up and leisurely did but was worried of falling. One ran at him, gradually but surely. With as much energy as he could muster up with the rest trying to stop the excruciating pain Aurania simply drew his dagger when the Orkin came close enough, the creatures bumpy skin was penetrated effortlessly. "Seven down three to go" Arinton informed Aurania while realizing he only had 3 arrows left; a bead of sweat leapt from his brow to his cheek.

One was shot and put a hole in the Orkins head. Blood ran down the creatures face turning it from green to red, it trickled down ever so slowly. This only angered the remaining two Orkins they roared in rage as one charged at Aurania the other raced at Arinton. Arinton's first shot flew to the right of the Orkin. Arinton threw a dagger to the ground in frustration, luckily he killed the Orkin with the last arrow. Aurania wasn't as lucky, without arrows Arinton couldn't kill the beast running at Aurania, and then an idea popped into his mind. He quickly tried to tug out the dagger makeshift arrow used to kill a bird the day before but had major struggle getting it out of his belt. The ogre came closer, Aurania had sweat dripping all down his body. He noticed the Orkin seemingly having troubles with something. Something with his challenges to think might have started to set in but it didn't matter; I was a sitting duck. The Orkin swung his arm and its dagger penetrated, with labor but surely, slid straight through and had a strident crack. A second later Arinton shot the dagger arrow straight through the ogre's skin. Its dagger still completely stuck in the tree I rested on inches beside my head, splitting the aged wood in half. While thinking about how lucky I was that the Orkins had bad accuracy.

The next morning Arinton crafted 10 arrows with what we found in the forest, and then we trekked up the mountains of Thranjil. It was our last obstacle before we get to the great city of Thranjil. Their climb was tiring and treacherous, but not to gradual, they seemed to move quite faster than they expected. Finally after their hike they made it to the top and could see Thranjil in the near distance. Then, from behind them appeared Saphirian, guardian of Thranjil.

Saphirian towered over the two heroes, her two wings were colossal, golden feathers covered them. They pounded the air as they flapped, they were hugely intimidating. Aurania shielded his eyes with his sore arm to stop the blinding light from sunlight reflecting of her golden yellow feathered body. Its dazzling body was covered with light and bright feathers. It soared across the sky in a dexteric manner, pulling its powerful structure across the aqua blue sky with ease. Its beak similar to Okatrin's but elegant features different in huge ways. Saphirian showed its claws, they had a quick shimmer as they lined up with the suns rays. These claws were sharper than any weapon the two heroes had. Aurania pictured gruesome images in his head about what these claws could do. Sweat from either the boiling heat or haunting images made beads of sweat trickled down Aurania and Arinton's foreheads as fast as freight trains.

The battle was over for Arinton as quick as it begun, or actually was just different and harder than it could have been before. Arinton was caught off guard with one of Saphirian's gigantic, forceful wing flaps. It knocked Arinton down the side of mount Thranjil, 15 feet down he smashed to a stop on a flat part of the mountain. Seconds later Aurania dodged one of Saphirians swoops and jumped on her back but couldn't get a hit on the mighty bird for it threw him off in time. Luckily, Aurania landed right back on the very top. Arinton was drawing his bow while Aurania got attacked with one of Saphirian's tricky swoops. Saphirian got low enough to slice Aurania's left cheek entirely. Blood gushed out of the wound quicker than a bee flying, around. He tried to cover up the wound with a piece of his shirt. He groaned vociferously from the intense ache; it's agony bit at my mind to make me, in general hurting like a nail was screwed in my brain. I couldn't take it; I wanted to give up, just lie their and let the beast slay me. Right then my conscience kicked in, I knew it hurt but I had to come through.

I noticed through that whole time Arinton had been shooting at the beast with arrows so it wouldn't eradicate me. Sometimes he missed, sometimes he hit, and it worked though because I was still alive. I took advantage of the shot he fired now. I leapt onto Saphirian and Arinton hit the creature with another arrow so it was unable to throw me off. I drove my sword through Saphirians head and with that the bird went down. As I jumped off Saphirian I slid down the mountain and skidded to a stop. As the two heroes entered Thranjil they were greeted by the king of Thranjil, Mijak. He knew they defeated Saphirian and knew they were worthy. Mijak firmly asked "Why have you come to my land".

The two informed Mijak of the great Dragon who burned the fertile land, thieves who stole the food, their parents executions and their adventure getting here. Being the reasonable man he is he gave Aurania and Arinton a boat full of food as well as 2 loyal warriors. The week it took the get back to Urinian across the sea had no monster attacks and went by quite quickly and Aurania grew tired and homesick yet when they got back everything was better than when they left. The people had eaten what they could catch of the wild animals in the forest nearby and built a new house on top of the old one. Although, on their first day back terrible news struck them like a bullet. Their best friend Jaronjai had his life taken by desiese so after two more days of rest they set out on a second quest, one for immortality!


End file.
